Tinnitus and Pain, One and the Same? - Prof. Peter McNaughton

About this episode

Are tinnitus and chronic pain alike? Very much so, believes pain researcher Prof. Peter McNaughton from King’s College London. He discovered a drug that works through ion channels on both chronic pain and tinnitus. Peter also talks about his rather controversial belief that tinnitus is a peripheral rather than central phenomenon, meaning that it originates in the ear and/or other outer areas of the nervous system, rather than in the brain. If he is right, this would open up new avenues for treatment. (00:00) Is Tinnitus Like Pain? (08:48) Mechanisms of Chronic Pain & Tinnitus (16:52) Ion Channels (25:14) Could HCN2 Inhibitor Drugs Work on Tinnitus? (28:44) Relation to Similar Research Projects (35:05) Drug Discovery Process (44:51) Getting Pharma Companies to Invest (53:59) How Quickly Can Peter’s Drug Come to Market? Become a Tinnitus Talk Podcast Patron at https://moretinnitustalk.com for bonus content, video interviews, Ask an Expert series, and more!